With counselor to student ratios going through the roof in many states, Oregon State announced the addition of a new masters degree in counseling

Oregon State University is addressing the state’s need for additional K-12 counselors with a new off-campus master’s program in school counseling.

The new master of science in counseling program – offered by the College of Education and delivered in a flexible online and face-to-face format by Oregon State Ecampus – should help bring comprehensive counseling services to all students, increase college attendance rates among underrepresented populations, and increase student success, said OSU President Ed Ray.

“As the state’s land-grant university, Oregon State is charged with providing educational opportunities to citizens throughout the state, working with partners across the education continuum,” Ray said. “We produce high-achieving graduates who contribute to a healthy economy, and skilled school counselors are critical partners in efforts to provide enriching services to all Oregon students.”

Oregon’s K-12 school system posted a student-to-counselor ratio of 553 to 1 during the 2010-11 school year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. That’s the eighth worst ratio in the nation and more than double the rate recommended by the American School Counselor Association….

To provide schedule flexibility for students, half the instruction will be delivered online and half will be conducted in face-to-face classroom meetings, held on weekends twice a term at Chemeketa Community College in Salem. The program will also encourage science, technology, engineering and mathematics career awareness and concerns.

“Math is the gatekeeper for students meeting college entrance requirements,” said Eakin, “and if we don’t address the STEM anxiety issues, where will our scientists, mathematicians and engineers come from if we don’t have as many students entering and graduating from college?”